Stepping on Chinese toes

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A Chinese-born performer with the Sydney Dance Company has been
deported from China after giving a book critical of the Communist
Party to a local man.

Xue-Jun Wang, an Australian citizen and veteran of Graeme
Murphy's acclaimed dance troupe, was in Shanghai rehearsing for
Mulan, a joint production between the dance company and the
Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble. It is to open this month's
Shanghai Arts Festival.

Wang said yesterday he gave a copy of a book, Nine Commentaries
on the Communist Party, to a Chinese man. On Wednesday, he was
summoned from rehearsal and asked to accompany local authorities to
his hotel room. Murphy became aware of the ruckus and intervened,
Wang said. "Graeme said 'you can't take him away he's an Australian
citizen'. He stood between them and me. He was an absolute
hero."

They all travelled by car to Wang's hotel, and Australian
consular officials were called.

A search of his belongings found two more copies of the book,
published by a newspaper linked to the Falun Gong meditation group,
of which Wang is a member. Falun Gong is banned by China. Wang left
China in 1991 and was granted a humanitarian visa in Australia.